When I first started testing electric vehicles, finding a charging station was the means to an end. I didn’t care what it looked like or what neighborhood it was in — it was a minor miracle that I found a charger, any charger, to juice up. But now consumers want more. Heck, I want more, and I don’t even own an EV. After all, this is a place where you’ll spend at least 20 minutes to shove some electrons into your vehicle. Is a bathroom too much to ask for?
Rivian has heard the call and has answered with its own chain of outpost charging stations. The first one opened up in Yosemite, California, this past summer, and now one is right in my own backyard in Joshua Tree, just six miles away from the town’s national park entrance.
Charge up
First, let’s talk about charging. There are 12 900-volt 300kW CCS chargers, and the outpost is open to any EV, although Teslas will need an adapter. There is one pullthrough spot for folks with a trailer, but if others are charging across the lot from that space, it might be a tight turn for longer rigs. Rivian owners can pay through the app or tap their credit cards at the charger at 46 cents per kWh, while non-Rivian cars can tap…
